The History of Us
by Lavenette
Summary: A character study spanning over 600 years, primarily focusing on the relationship between Sweden and Aland, and how it developed and evolved over time.
1. Mornings

The History of Us

Winter of 1289

"Good morning," Aland said, after Sweden reluctantly left his room.

"Morning." Sweden headed towards the kitchen, prepared to have at least a glass of almond milk. He smiled when he found some leftover bread.

"You should probably eat more than that," Aland said, as he tended to the fire.

Sweden decided to ignore him and eat his bread. Despite the snow outside, it was somewhat warm inside.

Sweden enjoyed the company. That was the primary reason he had Finland and Aland. Finland didn't offer much in terms of companionship, considering that he rarely talked. When he did decide to speak up, it was usually to complain. However, Sweden was almost always able to decipher Finland's silent responses. Overall, they got along fine.

With Aland, it was different. He was talkative and friendly. Aland was aggressively sweet. When Finland went to him to complain that the neighbors were too loud in the morning, Aland quickly shut them up. And when Sweden got a cold, Aland didn't hesitate to do all of his chores for him.

"I was thinking I could try and trade some wheat for eggs today," Aland said from his place in front of the fire.

Sweden looked up hopefully. Although he knew it was unlikely, he still got his hopes up. The Little Ice Age had made food harder to come by. Sweden, Aland, and Finland survived off of whatever was cheap and could be easily stored.

During the summer, Sweden and Aland had harvested as many grains as they could to last the winter. While they were outside working, Finland stayed inside doing chores. Sweden suspected that he chose to work indoors to both avoid the sunlight and drink all the ale he could get his hands on.

"I would like that," Sweden responded. He finished his bread and walked over to the window to watch the sun rise. Aland abandoned his spot in front of the fire to join him.

The mornings were Sweden's favorite part of the day. Finland was a lazy person by nature, so he was never up before the sun. Sweden wasn't exactly a morning person either, but he liked having a portion of his day to spend doing whatever he wanted. Plus, Aland woke up around the same time, so he was never alone with his thoughts.

"My sister is coming over today, so I plan on waiting for her. I don't want her to stop by when only Finland is around," Sweden said. Finland's obsession with his sister had not gone unnoticed, and it deeply irritated him.

"I bet he'll bring out his prettiest knife when she gets here," Aland said, smiling.

"Gross, why would you even say that?" Sweden asked, to Aland's amusement.

"Have you asked her why she's coming over?" Aland insinuated.

"I figured she just wanted to catch up?" Sweden said approximately one second before he realised what Aland was implying.

"I was just wondering," Aland said as innocently. It was obvious to Sweden that he was barely holding back a smile.

Their conversation ended, mostly because Sweden refused to even entertain the idea that his sister was visiting because she wanted to see Finland, not him. As the sun crept higher in the sky, Aland had gotten dressed and headed out for the day. Sweden needed to occupy his time somehow, so he started by tidying up his house. He was well aware that the things he was doing were the things that he should be making his colonies do, but he didn't mind. Cleaning his house kept him occupied and cleared his mind.

Around noon, his sister arrived. Her thick winter coat draped loosely over her frame, yet her cheeks were still red from the cold. Her cheeks were thinner than he last remembered and Sweden was sure that her coat had been more form fitting the last time he'd seen her wearing it. Clearly, the Little Ice Age had taken its toll on her.

She took off her coat and handed it over to Sweden. He took it outside to shake the snow off it, and when he came back in, he found her rummaging through his pantry.

"Do you want lunch?" Sweden offered.

"Thanks, but you probably need it more than I do," she responded.

"I haven't lost much weight, and my people need the food more than me. I'll live. Besides, I have colonies to feed," Sweden said, pulling out leftover soup. Without even having to ask, his sister began to chop vegetables to add to it.

"I'm just saying, you need to take care of yourself," she said, as she ate a slice of raw carrot.

"Don't eat that raw, you'll get sick," Sweden scolded, "Besides, you have lost quite a bit of weight yourself."

To Sweden's disappointment, Finland decided to make an appearance. He quietly emerged from his room and lurked in the hallway. Sweden was content to ignore him, but his sister immediately welcomed Finland to have lunch with them.

"You might as well just go back to your room, it'll be awhile before the soup heats up," Sweden said as a last ditch effort to get Finland to leave.

Finland shook his head and shrugged in a gesture that Sweden interpreted to mean that he was willing to wait with them. Sweden's sister said, "No, stay and talk with us."

And so, Finland had joined the conversation. His sister seemed to be able to understand Finland as easily as him or Aland. Finland didn't say a single word during the entire conversation, yet he still managed to stay a part of it, and even added in his own thoughts. Sweden watched as his sister nodded along to a story that Finland appeared to be telling. Finland quietly gestured with his knife and she laughed.

"Soups done," Sweden announced, eager to interrupt their version of a conversation.

"You should really start talking to Finland's sister," Sweden's sister said after Sweden had put three bowls of soup on the table.

"Why would I ever do that," Sweden asked.

"To stop the rumors," his sister said.

"What rumors?" Sweden asked.

His sister looked up in surprise, "You haven't heard?"

Finland snickered and shared a look with his sister. Sweden narrowed his eyes. He sometimes felt like he was one step behind everyone else. It was even worse now that the two of them knew something that he didn't.

"What rumors?" Sweden repeated. He had a bad feeling about this.

"That you're gay," she explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? Who says that? I'm not." It was times like these that made Sweden feel as though he was constantly under attack by the people around him.

"Come on, you live with two guys," she reasoned.

"But you live with two girls!" Sweden said.

His sister shrugged and took a bite of her soup, "Everyone knows my preferences."

Finland waved his spoon emphatically at Sweden's sister, and she nodded.

"What?" Sweden asked, annoyed.

"Nothing," she said and turned to give Finland a look. Finland had the audacity to look over at Sweden and laugh.

"Alright, it's time for you to go," Sweden said.

She smiled, "I'll visit you again next week."

"I'll hold you to it," Sweden said.

She hugged him and then turned to Finland. She whispered something in his ear and she kissed his cheek. She must have sensed Sweden's eyes on her, because she turned to roll her eyes at him.

"Tell Aland I said hi," she said over her shoulder. Sweden and Finland watched as she left.

"Well, it's just us until Aland gets back," Sweden muttered as soon as his sister was out of earshot.

Finland gave Sweden a look that Sweden assumed was supposed to be meaningful. Finland wandered off, probably on the search for some alcohol.

By the time Aland got back, Sweden had already started on dinner. Aland set a bag down on the table and came over to look at what Sweden was cooking.

"I haven't seen Finland in hours, so maybe if we're quiet we won't have to share with him," Sweden whispered.

Aland grinned and pressed a finger against his lips in agreement. He whispered, "Guess what I got?"

"What?"

Aland went over to the bag and pulled out a half dozen eggs. He grinned and presented them with a flourish.

"How?" Sweden asked. He knew there was no way anyone in their right mind would trade six eggs for some wheat.

"Because I didn't exactly give him a choice," Aland said, smiling sweetly.

"That's just a little suspect," Sweden admitted.

"One thing," Aland said, "hide the eggs from Finland."


	2. The Black Death

Summer 1350

"Sweden, open the door!" Sweden recognized Denmark's voice, but he didn't really care enough to get out of bed and open the door. "Sweden, please!"

Sweden rolled out of bed, taking his blanket with him. Despite the fact that it was seventy degrees outside, he was freezing. His journey to the front door was long and painful.

Denmark and Norway stood in the doorway, shivering in the sunlight. Norway leaned heavily against the doorframe. His curls were plastered to his forehead with sweat.

"You look like shit," Denmark said.

"I feel even worse. You don't look much better yourself," Sweden said.

"Can we stay here until we get better?" Norway asked, still not moving from his spot against the doorway.

The sunlight made Sweden's head throb aggressively, "Why do you want to stay with me? Aland and Finland are also sick."

"We figured," Norway said. He looked like he was about to collapse.

"Misery loves company," Denmark added. His face was pale and his cheeks were splotchy red. He stumbled a few feet away and threw up in Sweden's lawn.

"You're not helping your case," Sweden said.

"Can I at least come in to get some water?" Denmark asked, somehow looking more miserable.

"I don't care, I'm going back to bed," Sweden said.

Black spots covered Sweden's vision as he started to walk away. He sucked in a painful breath and continued to stumble towards his bedroom. He was out of breath by the time he reached his bed.

The air burned as Sweden breathed. He was uncomfortable, but rolling onto his right side was too painful to even consider. He wondered if the ringing in his head had always been there, or if it was just a symptom of the plague.

"Move over," Denmark said.

"No way in hell," Sweden muttered.

"But I brought water. And Norway," Denmark whined.

"Go bother my sister." Sweden already moved over; he knew there was no point in arguing. Denmark would eventually wear him out. Denmark immediately curled up underneath the blanket and cuddled against Sweden. Denmark's fever ridden skin warmed Sweden far better than any blanket, so he didn't argue.

Norway followed Denmark's lead and crumpled down next to him. He then pressed his face in Sweden's extra pillow.

"Living is painful," Denmark whined.

"Stop breathing like that, it's making my head hurt," Sweden snapped.

"Shut up," Norway groaned, his voice muffled from the pillow.

Not five minutes later, Aland wandered into Sweden's room with his comforter over his head. Sweden quietly watched as Aland took in the scene.

"Hey," Aland said, his voice rough, "it sounded like you guys were having fun in here and I'm pretty miserable, so I thought I'd see what's up."

As far as Sweden was aware, Norway had just fallen asleep, and Denmark was in too much pain to continue bitching.

"Trust me, we're not having fun." Talking made the burning in Sweden's throat worse.

"I'm so cold," Aland said, visibly shaking even underneath his comforter.

Speaking was too painful, so Sweden settled for pointing to the spot between him and the wall. Sweden realized he must have looked like Finland. Aland seemed to understand Sweden's silent form of communication, because he squeezed himself into the small space between the Sweden and the wall. Sweden's bed was clearly not big enough for the four of them to fit comfortably, so he ended up with Aland partially laying on top of him, and Denmark smashed into his other side. The position wasn't ideal, but at least he wasn't cold anymore. Sweden matched his breathing with Norway until he fell asleep.

"Do you guys want me to heat up some soup?" Sweden's sister asked, waking Sweden and Denmark.

Sweden's plague riddled mind took a few moments to process her words. He watched her as he thought over her words. She stood illuminated in the afternoon sunlight. Her short hair was tucked behind her ears and her cheeks had a rosy glow. She was radiating health, and Sweden couldn't have been more jealous.

"Please," Denmark croaked, his voice thick with sleep.

"How's Finland?" Sweden asked. The ringing in his head was back.

"He's about the same as you four," she said, as she turned to leave.

"Wait, before you go, how's everyone else?" Sweden asked, longing for a distraction from the pain. His head was heavy and his neck was sore.

"Most of Europe is doing worse than you guys. Well, except for Poland. He doesn't even have a cold," she said.

"Can you imagine being as lucky as Poland?" Denmark whined.

"Or my sister, she hasn't even sneezed once," Sweden said.

Sweden's arm was numb from Aland laying on it. He debated waking him up to see if he wanted to eat, but he wanted to let him sleep. The soup could be reheated.

"Norway, get up. Sweden's sister is making soup," Sweden heard Denmark say.

Aland muttered something in his sleep and readjusted so his head was on Sweden's shoulder. His head was burning up and Sweden wondered how high a fever could get before it became fatal.

Sweden's stomach turned when the smell of soup reached him. He buried his face in his pillow and attempted to steady his breathing. After blocking out the scent of food, his nausea faded. He knew if he threw up, he'd temporarily feel better, but he also knew he didn't want to throw up in his bed or get up.

Sweden felt the bed shift as Denmark got up. He thought it must be a miracle that Norway had not budged despite Denmark vigorously shaking him.

"Hey Finland," Sweden heard Denmark rasp as he walked down the hallway.

Not a minute later, Finland replaced Denmark's presence in the room. Sweden wondered how long it would take him to get in bed with the rest of them.

"If you're hungry, my sister's making food." Sweden told him.

Finland shook his head, and pointed at the spot Denmark had abandon. Sweden couldn't care less who shared his bed with him, as long as he got to sleep. Still keeping his face firmly smashed into his pillow, he nodded, hoping Finland would understand. His mattress dipped and Finland silently joined them. Sweden suspected that Finland had been the first to get sick, but he had hidden it so well that no one knew. Even now, he didn't act sick. His fever and blotchy skin gave him away.

Sweden fell asleep squished between his two colonies and despite the pounding in his head and the churning in his stomach, he was content. Naturally, it didn't last long.

"Wake up, you need to eat," his sister said, as she obnoxiously tapped on his shoulder.

"No, I'll just throw it up," Sweden retorted, eager to fall back to sleep.

"No, you need to put some weight back on and regain your strength. That's the fastest way for you to heal," she said. Sweden really did not have the mental capacity to argue with her.

"I'm dying," he complained.

"You're doing much better than most of Europe, so quit bitching," she said, tugging at his arm, as though she was just going to drag him into the kitchen.

"What about you, you're not even sick," Sweden whined.

Due to either their bickering or the fact that his sister was pulling him out of his bed, or possibly a combination of both factors, Aland woke up.

"Leave us alone," Aland said, miserably. Aland moved his head from Sweden's shoulder, and Sweden's shoulder immediately felt cold.

Sweden moved his head from his pillow to look over at Aland. His eyebrows were pinched and his lips were pressed together. He looked pissed that he was woken up. The shadows under his eyes were darker than normal, and his cheeks had no color, yet he still didn't look bad. Sweden knew Aland couldn't say the same about him, because he could feel his sweat soaked hair clinging to his forehead. Before the plague, Sweden would have never believed that it was possible to both sweat and feel cold at the same time.

"Fine, but I have to go home. Promise that you guys will eat something," she said.

"Ok," Sweden instantly promised.

"You need to eat too, Finland," she said, and he gave her a grunt in response.

"Bye, you guys. Get well soon. I'll be back tomorrow."

Sweden listened to his sister walk down the stairs, heard her tell Denmark goodbye, and waited to hear the front door shut. In that time, Finland's breathing had evened out, and Sweden was pretty confident that he was asleep. Next to Finland, Norway continued to sleep through all interactions.

"There's not going to be room for Denmark," Sweden commented to no one in particular.

"Not our problem," Aland said, before laying his head on Sweden's shoulder.

The plague had left Sweden too uncomfortable to sleep, so instead he focused on matching his breathing to the slow, steady pace of Aland's breaths. Though he would never admit it, the warmth from his colonies and friends seemed to help with his chills, soreness, and mood. The last thing Sweden needed was to have Denmark and Norway feeling more confident about barging into his house uninvited. He decided that when he felt better, he would act like he was annoyed by them.

"Move over, Finland, you took my spot," Denmark whined.

Sweden was sure that everyone was sleeping except him and Denmark. Meaning Sweden was the only one who had to suffer through Denmark's bitching. Sweden pretended to be asleep, hoping that he would give up and either find somewhere else to sleep or leave.

"I'm sick, so I should get to lay down," Denmark continued. Despite Denmark's intentions, he wasn't inspiring Finland to move, rather he was pissing Sweden off to no end. Sweden knew damn well that he was too passive to actually do anything about it, so he kept on ignoring him.

"Finland!" Denmark had increasingly gotten louder in his efforts to wake Finland up.

"Shut up," Aland managed to snarl sleepily.

"But there's no room for me," Denmark said, "Finland won't scoot over."

"You know what? Fine, I'll move," Aland said, snappily.

"No, you don't have to do that," Sweden said, reluctantly joining the conversation.

"Come with me," Aland said, as he slowly sat up. Cold air immediately hit the entire left half of Sweden's body, and he mourned the loss of contact.

"I feel like I'm going to vomit," Denmark remarked casually. He swayed on his feet and wrapped his arms around his stomach.

Sweden had been prepared to argue with Aland, but he suddenly felt an urge to go with him. He took his comforter and got out of his bed. Denmark quickly took his spot.

"Do not throw up in my bed," Sweden warned.

Denmark murmured an agreement and pulled the covers over his head. Sweden turned and followed Aland. Aland led them to his room, and slid into his bed. He moved close to the wall, giving Sweden plenty of room.

"We can finally get some peace and quiet," Aland said.

"Thanks, my room got too crowded too quickly," Sweden agreed.

Aland's bed was cold from disuse, so Sweden moved closer to Aland. Aland responded by laying his head on Sweden's shoulder and Sweden was finally able to fall asleep, uninterrupted.


	3. The Postal Service

Fall 1642

Around five years ago, Finland and Aland had partially moved back into their own houses. They had been spending approximately half of their time in their own country with their own citizens and the other half with Sweden. Sweden was fine with the arrangement, but he did have his sister come over more to try and combat the loneliness. Inviting his sister over often led to Finland coming to visit him, which was nice. Even though he knew Finland wasn't coming to spend time with him, Sweden could still pretend.

Despite the new living arrangements, Sweden still saw Aland everyday. Which was more than he saw Finland. Mostly because Aland had a postal route that Sweden and Finland could use to communicate. Sweden and Finland wrote to each other much more than they needed to. But Sweden couldn't help it, the postal service was still new and exciting. Though it had been established around four years ago, Sweden still enjoyed using it.

The front door swung open before Sweden had even had a chance to get dressed for the day. Not that it surprised him, Aland was always bringing mail to him early in the morning. Sweden didn't mind, because it reminded him of the early mornings he spent with Aland for over three centuries. Aland sat down next to him with a couple of envelopes in his hand.

Aland's hair was messy from the wind and he wore a coat. Sweden watched as Aland flipped through the mail he had brought.

"Feel my hand," Aland said, after he had sorted two piles of envelopes.

Sweden held his hand for a moment and tried to quit staring at him. His hand was cold, but not cold enough for Sweden to give him any sympathy.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I think it feels nice outside," Sweden said.

"So that's why you're wearing a long sleeved shirt and a scarf?" Aland teased.

"Whatever," Sweden scoffed, turning to look through the mail. "What did you bring?"

"This is from Finland to you, this is for you to give to your boss, and I need to deliver the rest of these to your citizens," Aland said.

"Finland says he's coming over for dinner tomorrow night," Sweden mentioned, as he read through his mail. "You should join us."

"I will," Aland said.

They fell into a comfortable silence. After centuries of knowing each other, silence had become just as meaningful as spoken conversations. Sweden felt like he learned more about Aland when he was quiet than when he was speaking. In the lull of a conversation, Aland never zoned out. It made Sweden feel as though Aland was always alert. It was never anything important that Aland focused on, sometimes he would just observe Sweden, other times he would watch out the window.

Sweden watched Aland stare out the window. During the silence, he had quit fidgeting with the letters. He must have sensed Sweden looking at him, because he looked over at him.

"What?" Aland asked, tilting his head slightly to the right.

"Nothing, I was just thinking," Sweden said.

"Thinking about what?" Aland asked.

Sweden froze for a moment; not sure how to answer the question.

"How much different the world is when we aren't talking," Sweden said.

"I was thinking about how different our living situation is now," Aland said, "I guess I got so used to being with you and Finland all the time that I forgot was it was like to be on my own."

"Yeah, I get that," Sweden said. He was not willing to admit how lonely he was without his colonies by his side everyday.

"Does it bother you that I stop by so much?" Aland asked.

"What? No, not at all," Sweden said. "I like having you over."

"Thanks," Aland said, and they fell back into a meaningful silence.

Aland turned to give Sweden a look, but he couldn't interpret it. For a second, Sweden swore Aland was going to tell him something, but then Aland turned to look out the window and the moment had passed. He wondered if the look was a wordless message, and, if so, what it meant.

After the silence became unbearable, Sweden decided to break it. While Aland was focused on the red and gold leaves outside, Sweden quickly tugged one of the letters out of his hand. Aland frowned slightly in confusion and Sweden took his lack of action as a sign to go ahead and pretend to open the letter.

"What? Stop." Aland suddenly spurred into action. He reached over and tried to pry the letter out of Sweden's hand.

"No," Sweden said. He had no intentions of actually opening the envelope, he just wanted to bother Aland.

"I hate you," Aland replied. Sweden got up and edged closer to the door in case he needed to make a break for it. Aland slowly stood up and held his hands up in surrender. "Why do you want it anyway?"

"I just want to read it," Sweden lied.

For a second, Sweden was sure that Aland was going to respond to him. Instead, he charged at him. Sweden knew he didn't have enough time to get the door open, so instead, he turned the other way and ran towards the stairs. Aland, with the element of surprise on his side, easily caught up to Sweden. Sweden had only made it halfway up the stairs before Aland tackled him. Sweden flipped over onto his back so he could be face to face with Aland.

"I need that letter," Aland said, his voice harsh. His cheeks were slightly flushed and he was trying not smile, so Sweden knew he wasn't mad.

"Why?" Sweden asked, already knowing the answer.

"So I can keep the post office open. I can't just let you read through other people's mail." Aland carefully removed the mail from Sweden's hand.

Sweden found it concerning that he was out of breath. Aland didn't seem to be nearly as tired as him. After Finland and Aland had partially moved out, Sweden hadn't exercised as much. Without him noticing, laziness had followed loneliness into his life.

"You never meant to open it, did you?" Aland asked. Despite having gotten the letter back, Aland continued to pin Sweden to the stairs.

Sweden responded by grinning. He didn't try to push Aland off of him and Aland didn't pull away. Aland rolled his eyes, but laughed anyway.

"And I had forgotten why I didn't spend as much time here anymore," Aland said.

"It hurts to hear that," Sweden said, pretending to be upset.

Aland rolled off him, but laid down on the stairs next to him. "Oh yeah, is this an emotionally compromising time for you?"

Aland's teasing was a little too accurate for Sweden to be comfortable with. But he started it, so he replied, as theatrically as possible, "Of course, how am I supposed to function without you in my life?"

"However will you survive the winter alone?" Aland faced Sweden, being as dramatic as possible. He pretended to wipe a tear away. Sweden watched as he struggled to keep up the facade, but it didn't last long before Aland's lips turned up in a smile. Aland had dimples when he smiled and the bags under his eyes had disappeared over the last century. Aland seemed to radiate health and happiness.

Sweden struggled to think of something to say to continue the conversation. "I don't know. I guess I'll die."

Aland laughed, "But then who would drink all the alcohol I stole from Finland with me?"

"You did what?" Despite the fact that Finland was his friend, Sweden was sure that Finland wouldn't hesitate to kill him and Aland if he discovered what Aland did.

"Don't tell him," Aland said. He sounded serious, but there was still a playful glint in his eyes.

"He'll kill us if he finds out." Sweden looked at Aland with awe. He was curious as to how Aland managed to pull it off, but the less he knew the better his chances of staying on Finland's good side were.

"Some things are worth the risk." Aland's features morphed from coy to vulnerable in an instant. Sweden wondered if they were still talking about alcohol.

The entire tone of their conversation had changed; it had suddenly become meaningful, yet fragile. He was desperate to see where this was heading, but terrified of ruining it.

This form of silence led Aland to fidget with the letters. Sweden carefully chose his words; painfully aware of how important their discussion was.

"I think our happiness is worth the risk." Sweden watched Aland's reaction closely. Aland's face, which had previously been scrunched up in what Sweden assumed to be nervousness, relaxed. Sweden let out a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding.

Aland laid his head back and looked towards the ceiling. The moment was over and the tension quickly dissipated. Most of their exchange had been unspoken, and their actual words were only hinting at their true intentions.


	4. The Great Northern War

A/N: So this chapter contains: death (but not really), gunshot wounds, and a little physical fighting. I feel like I should offer a warning, but I focused more on Sweden's emotions than actual descriptions of violence.

Spring 1714

Sweden paced around his house, trying unsuccessfully to quell his anxiety. He was wasting valuable time because he wasn't able to think coherently through his panic. His breath was too fast and too hot in his throat. His body felt too stiff and rigid; no matter what he did, he couldn't get his muscles to relax. He wasn't able to continue any logical trains of thought. Dwelling on Aland was the only thing that his mind would allow.

Russia had invaded Aland hours ago. The attack was entirely unexpected, and had left Sweden reeling. He needed to help Aland, but he wasn't sure how. His only plan was to go to Aland's home and drive Russia off his land, but if Aland wasn't able to do that, then Sweden certainly couldn't. Though Sweden had more power, land, and resources, Aland had always been more of a fighter. He knew he would need weapons, for both him and Aland. In the hours that he had known of this, that was as far as his plan went.

Sweden finally decided to take action. Clearly, biding his time to think of a better plan was not working. He grabbed a bag and threw the two handguns he could find into it. Sweden stopped for a minute, desperately trying to think of what else he would need. He ran into the kitchen, and threw some bottled water into the bag. Next, he scanned the kitchen for ready to eat foods. The weather was inconsistent enough to convince Sweden to put a jacket on. Without any idea what he was going into, Sweden left his house. He didn't make it five feet before he turned back to grab another jacket, just in case Aland was cold.

The sky was a light black. Despite Sweden's nervousness, the world was calm and still. Most of his citizens were still sleeping, and the world appeared to be devoid of movement. The stillness of the atmosphere had an immediate effect of Sweden's physical and mental state. His breathing evened out and his pulse soon followed. Sweden didn't know if it was because he was outside or it was because he was finally doing something, but his thoughts became more focused.

Sweden resisted the urge to run to his boat. He needed to save his energy for actually helping Aland; he'd be no good to Aland tired. Walking was almost painful, because it was so excruciatingly slow. He decided to settle on speed walking. He wondered how much damage had been done to Aland because it took so long for Sweden to leave to help him.

After Sweden had been informed of Russia's actions, he had been told not interfere until given the order. He had taken that order to heart, and had proceeded to waste precious time that he could have been helping Aland. He had waited until he could hear his pulse thudding in his ears before he did anything. He had waited until he had felt his chest tighten before he even thought of disobeying. And Sweden knew that if it had been him being invaded, hell itself wouldn't be able to stop Aland from helping him.

Sweden's mind had burnt all of its fuel for worrying, and had moved on to guilt. No matter how much he tried to push the feeling away, it came back. The guilt coiled in his stomach, burned the inside of his ears, and lodged itself in his throat. Anger was an easier emotion to deal with, though it was more intense, it was also shorter. Guilt had an impossibly long shelf life, and, over time, would prove to be more destructive. It was subtle, and Sweden realized, difficult to kill. He continued to walk towards his boat.

Once Sweden had gotten on his boat the worry came back. Guilt was a consistent emotion, once it was there, it steadily got worse with no foreseeable end. But worrying came in waves, engulfing its host in a horrible mixture of hopelessness and restlessness, then retreating, leaving behind only a concerning numbness, and then repeating the process.

Rowing the boat was a physical activity, and it did nothing to distract Sweden. He thought of every possible thing that could go wrong. What if Russia took Aland away from Sweden? What if Russia hurt Aland? Logically, Sweden knew that the only way Russia could kill Aland would be if he killed all of his citizens, or changed their nationalities and citizenship, or completely annihilated all of Aland's land. Which was highly unlikely to happen overnight. But fear was not restricted by logic's rules.

The sun had hidden the stars and people were everywhere. In this situation, Alanders and Russians could never be mistaken for one another. Alanders moved quickly, eyeing the Russians suspiciously. The Russians that Sweden could see were standing still holding guns, watching the Alanders scatter.

Sweden got off his boat and looked around. He doubted that Aland would be hiding, so Sweden decided to go to the middle of the action. He climbed out of his boat and entered the chaos.

"Hurry, sweetie," A woman ushered a crying child forward with one arm, while she carried a sleeping infant in the other. She looked around, probably trying to both avoid Russians and find safety.

"Miss," Sweden called out, catching the woman's attention. "Take my boat and head West until you reach land. You'll be safe there."

Sweden did not mind taking in Aland's citizens. He knew that he would need his boat later, but he could deal with finding a way back home later, after he had Aland with him.

"Thank you, sir. You are too kind," the woman said. She offered Sweden a grateful smile, and led her daughter towards his boat.

"Be safe," Sweden told her.

"You as well," she said, and took off without looking back.

Sweden turned away from the mother and looked back at the Russian guards. One had noticed him and was pointing him out to another guard. It occured to Sweden that maybe they weren't watching the Alanders, and maybe they were looking for him instead.

The guards started walking towards him, and Sweden figured it was time to move. He started speed walking further inland, near the commotion. The guards were far enough away that he actually stood a chance to get away. Sweden kept his head down and tried his best to blend in. He didn't consider himself to be short, but he knew he wasn't tall enough to stand out in a crowd. He guided as many people as he could westward, knowing they would be safe if he could get them to his land.

After approximately ten minutes of hiding in the midst of the people, Sweden started going against the flow of the crowd. The guards had either lost Sweden or Sweden had lost the guards, but regardlessly, Sweden didn't mind. He quickly made his way past the people, towards Aland's house. Naturally, Russia had set up some of his guards around Aland's house. Sweden tucked his hands into his pocket and nodded at them. They blocked the front door and spoke to each other in Russian. Through the door, Sweden could hear Aland yelling.

"I need to get in there," Sweden said to the guards.

The guards muttered in Russian, before one went into Aland's house. Sweden moved to follow him, but the other guard blocked him.

The door closed, but Sweden still heard a loud thump and Sweden recognised Aland's cry of pain. He lurched forward, desperate to get into Aland's house. Sweden felt his chest tighten again. His head felt fuzzy, and he thought for a second that he would be sick.

"Please, let me through," Sweden said, his voice catching.

"No," the guard said in Swedish.

Sweden tried to go around him, but the guard was half a foot taller than him and much more in shape. Sweden reached for his bag, thinking of the hand guns that he brought with him for this purpose.

Before Sweden had the chance to do something stupid, the other guard came out. He spoke to them, and they both stepped aside. Sweden pushed through the door and stopped at the sight.

Russia had Aland pinned to the wall and was whispering something in his ear. Russia didn't get a chance to finish what he was saying before Aland kicked him away.

"Aland, are you ok?" Sweden asked, breaking their concentration.

Aland turned immediately at the sound of Sweden's voice, revealing a split lip. Russia turned and smiled cruelly at Sweden. Aland had broken Russia's nose, but it was clear that Russia still had the upper hand. As soon as Russia let go of Aland, Sweden could see how bad off he actually was. Aland slumped and struggled to stand on his own.

"I'm surprised it took you so long, Sweden. I guess you don't care as much as I thought you did," Russia said. "I mean, it's not like you did much to protect Finland."

"I'm going to say this once, Russia, leave." Sweden dropped his bag on the ground and subtly kicked it over to Aland.

"Why should I?" Russia asked.

"Why do you even want an island? Aren't you big enough already?" Sweden countered.

"It's not a personal thing, my boss just wants him," Russia said.

Both Sweden and Russia heard the sound of the buttons being undone on Sweden's bag. They turned, and Aland's hands were frozen over the bag. He slowly looked up and made eye contact with Sweden.

"So, Russia," Sweden started. He had no idea what he was going to say, but he needed to distract him.

It didn't work. Russia stalked over to Aland and kicked him away from the bag. Russia grabbed Aland's shoulders and slammed his head into the floor. Aland's head made a sickening crack as it hit the ground. Russia had slammed his head down so hard, that it bounced. Witnessing that made Sweden feel nauseous. Sweden panicked and tackled Russia. Russia pushed Sweden off, and the three watched each other quietly from their spots on the ground. The bag was closest to Aland, but it was obvious that he wasn't going to get to it.

Aland slowly sat up and rubbed the back of his head. He pulled his hand away, revealing blood, and leaned against the wall.

"Let's just make this easy. Give up Aland and we can all go home. I'll even let him visit you," Russia offered.

Sweden looked over at Aland waiting for his response. It disturbed Sweden that he remained silent. Aland was always the one who spoke up and fought.

"Or, you turn around and go home. You can even keep Finland," Sweden bargained.

"Give up now, or else I shoot him." Russia pulled out his gun to prove his point.

"That won't kill him, and I won't just give him up that easily." Sweden eyed the gun nervously; he knew Russia wouldn't hesitate to shoot Aland.

"Why will you give up Finland so quickly, yet fight so hard for Aland? Like you said, he is just an island." Russia smirked, seemingly amused by his own question.

"I, he just, I want Aland because, I just don't want to be lonely." The words tripped awkwardly off Sweden's tongue as he fumbled for an answer. He had never expected that question.

"That's what this is about? Loneliness? Spend some more time with your sister, or get a dog, or something," Russia said in disbelief. "One last chance, give me Aland, or I shoot him."

For just a second, Sweden felt like the world had been reduced to just his unsteady heartbeat and his frantic thoughts. If he gave up Aland now, he would never see him again. No matter what, Sweden had to fight.

"No." The gunshot pierced through the silence. Russia dropped to the ground and Sweden's entire perspective changed. Aland had gotten the gun out of his bag and pulled the trigger. Russia was the victim.

Aland had shot Russia in the shoulder. Sweden assumed Aland had been aiming for his throat, but missed. A bullet in the shoulder was not enough to prevent Russia from making good on his promise. As soon as Sweden had turned his attention to Aland, Russia fired a bullet straight through Aland's head.

Sweden, acting on instinct, moved forward and kicked the gun out of Russia's hand before he even had a chance to look away from Aland's body. Sweden pushed Russia into a lying position and dug his heel into the bullet wound in his shoulder. Russia grit his teeth and squirmed, but Sweden only used more force in return. Sweden quickly grabbed the gun that Aland had used for the first shot, and aimed it at Russia.

"Don't do this, Sweden, I'll only make things harder for you when I come back." Russia's features were twisted in some mixture of pain and anger.

"You shouldn't have tried to take Aland away from me. I said no." At that moment, Sweden felt absolutely nothing. He vaguely wondered if his face showed any emotion. Finally, the panic from the last few hours had subsided, and clarity had replaced emotion.

Russia was talking, but Sweden didn't care to listen to what he was saying. He watched Russia's mouth move for a moment before he shot him in his throat. Russia stopped talking mid sentence and the silence was louder than the gunshots. Sweden wasn't sure if he had been breathing heavily the entire time, but now it was the only thing he could hear. His throat burned, and his stomach lurched. Sweden rushed to the bathroom to throw up. He had been too nervous to eat breakfast, so it was mostly just stomach acid.

After he stumbled back from the bathroom, Sweden saw the guards had kicked the door in and were staring at the bodies. They were talking, but Sweden couldn't hear them over the blood rushing in his ears. They drew their guns, but Sweden raised his hands in surrender. He waited until they got within arms reach and then he struck. He hit the closest guard on the head with his hand and the guard collapsed. Their human strength and stamina was nothing compared to him. Before the next guard could even pull out his gun, Sweden had knocked him unconscious. He was well aware that the stunt he pulled was not due to skill, but because of adrenaline.

Sweden turned and looked at the only person in the room he cared about. Blood was dried on Aland's forehead and his face was pale and clammy. Sweden ran his fingers through Aland's hair before placing a hand on his head. Though he was expecting Aland's skin to be slowly getting colder, it still surprised him. Sweden knew he had a while before Aland or Russia came back, but he still was eager to put some distance between himself and Russia before Russia came back.

Sweden picked Aland up, struggling to find a comfortable position. Aland was taller than him and he was trying to be gentle. Somehow, he found a way to transport both his bag and colony. Sweden went outside, knowing that he did not have a ride back to his house. Regardlessly, he walked back the way he came, ignoring the looks he received. Less than ten minutes after he had started walking, the numbness had faded away and Sweden was left feeling drained while carrying Aland's dead weight. He forced himself to continue walking, because he knew that if he stopped, he wouldn't be able to start again. By the time he had reached the dock, he had readjusted Aland multiple times and was struggling to move. He arrived just as an older couple was getting on a small boat.

"Going to Sweden?" The old man asked.

"Yes, I need to get my friend home." It took Sweden a minute to process the man's words, and longer still to realise that he was being offered a ride.

"He doesn't look well," The woman said.

Sweden just shook his head. At that moment, speech was something that Sweden was not sure he was capable of. He passed Aland over to the man and listened to the woman gasp when she saw the bullet wound. Sweden carefully climbed in the boat. Sweden had forgotten how nice it felt to sit down. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of oxygen filling his lungs. The couple spoke quietly amongst themselves, but never tried to engage him in their conversation.

Sweden dug around in his bag and pulled out the extra jacket. He put it on Aland. There was no reason to, Aland was dead and he would stay that way for at least a day, but Sweden still wanted him to wear the jacket.

Being on his own land was an empowering feeling. He still felt dizzy and disconnected from the world, but he felt like by just being back he was regaining strength. Or it was just placebo effect. He thanked the couple for the ride and grabbed Aland and his bag.

He walked to his sister's house, hoping that she was home. By the time he got to her front door, he was exhausted again.

"Hey, I heard about Finland and Aland," She said.

"Russia is dead." Sweden walked past her and headed straight for the guest room. He dropped Aland onto the bed and layed down next to him. He knew he still needed to talk to his sister, so he reluctantly got up.

As he walked down the hall, he heard something rustling. Sweden's head snapped to the guest room; there was no way that Aland would be waking up. He looked at Aland, who was still, and then peeked into his sister's room.

"Glad to see that you are doing well," Sweden said to Finland. Finland grinned as he met Sweden's eyes and held up one of his shirts. "So you're leaving me for my sister, huh?"

Finland shrugged, and Sweden decided to interpret the gesture to mean that until it was safe again, Finland would hide with her. "I killed Russia."

Finland gave him a thumbs up and Sweden smiled for the first time that day. He walked downstairs and hugged his sister. She rubbed his back while he buried his face in her shoulder. He didn't mean to cling on to her as hard or as tight as he did. But he still couldn't move away from her. Sweden realized that he was crying, but he wasn't sure when he started.

"He'll find you if you stay here, you know," She said after a while.

"I know." Sweden rubbed his nose on his sleeve and wiped his eyes.

"I was thinking you should stay with Denmark or Norway's sister," She suggested.

"Can I stay here for a little while?" Sweden asked.

She nodded and led them both to the couch. Once he started crying, it was almost impossible to stop. Sweden was shaking and taking in uneven breaths; he really needed some emotional release after everything that had happened.

His sister never asked him what happened, but as soon as he had been able to talk without his voice catching, he told her everything. She listened and nodded along, making occasional comments.

"Despite what you've done today, do you really think that you can defend Aland from Russia forever?" She finally asked, after Sweden told her about the old couple who had shared their boat.

"Maybe he'll give up?" Sweden asked hopefully.

"Go to sleep, I'll wake you when you need to leave," She said.

Sweden was both physically and emotionally tired. His muscles ached from carrying Aland, and he had had too many feelings for one day. He went back to the guest room and curled up on the bed next to Aland. Sweden pretended that Aland was only so pale and quiet because they were sick again.

"Goodnight," Sweden said to Aland, before falling asleep.

When his sister woke him up, Sweden felt like a different person. Crying and sleeping had done wonders for his mental state.

"Sorry for freaking out on you earlier," He said.

"It was understandable," She said. "Denmark's sister is here, she said that you can stay with her for a while."

"Thank you." Sweden put his coat on before he picked Aland up. He gave his sister a one arm hug, before he went outside to meet up with Denmark's sister.

She stood illuminated in the moonlight, looking bored. She smiled when she saw Sweden, but the expression dropped when she saw the body in his arms.

"Follow me," She said, and started walking. She was uncharacteristically quiet.

The atmosphere dragged her personality down, and Sweden felt bad. He thought about attempting small talk, but he figured that would just make things worse. He was still groggy from his nap, and Aland's body was heavy. It was silent as they made their way to her boat. Sweden took the opportunity to avoid thinking about the near future.

The boat ride was more of the same. Denmark's sister led them to her home without saying a word. Sweden was grateful for the silence, but it felt different. When Aland was alive there always seemed to be more meaning in the words not spoken.

"I'm just going to go to sleep," Sweden said.

"Sure, just letting you know, I might be out tomorrow morning." She gestured for Sweden to follow her to her guest bedroom.

He thanked her and laid Aland down on the bed. Sweden pulled the covers over Aland's cold body and got in next to him. He spent a few minutes looking at Aland's face before he fell asleep. The moonlight from between the curtains cascaded over the arch of his nose and across his cheeks. His hair fell messily over his forehead and death had relaxed his features. The lack of tension in his face made him look younger; the lines from around his eyes and between his eyebrows had all but disappeared.

Sweden turned away from Aland and let himself fall asleep. He was so tired that he didn't dream, or, if he did, he forgot it immediately after he woke up. His body felt stiff and uncomfortable, as though he hadn't moved all night. The sun was high in the sky, so Sweden was sure that he'd slept for many more hours than he was used to.

True to her word, Denmark's sister was not in her house when Sweden woke up. He took the opportunity to use a washcloth and clean the blood from Aland's face. He used water and a little bit of soap to clean around his forehead. Sweden was scared to wash close to his wound, but he didn't want it to be dirty. He knew Aland's head would hurt when he came back, so Sweden thought that now was the best time to clean it out.

Several hours after Sweden cleaned Aland's face, Aland began to come to. Sweden hurried over to the bed and sat down, careful not to jostle the mattress. Aland groaned and gingerly touched his forehead.

"Aland? You ok?" Sweden asked.

Aland didn't respond, but he opened his eyes for a moment, before squeezing them shut. His fingers lightly skimmed over his head, and stopped when they reached the bullet hole.

"Don't touch it, you'll make it hurt worse." Sweden pulled Aland's hand away.

"Sweden?" Aland asked, his voice was scratchy and rough, but Sweden loved it.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Where's Russia? He shot me," Aland said, as he turned his head away from the sunlight.

"I killed him," Sweden said, "I shot him in his throat."

"Good," Aland said.

Sweden went to get him water, and Aland wasted no time in drinking the entire cup, and then another two cups.

Sweden got back on the bed and Aland pushed himself up, using his elbows to support his weight. It lasted for only a moment before he gave a shocked gasp and his face contorted in pain. Sweden quickly got Aland back into a fully horizontal position, but Aland rolled over and pressed his face into Sweden's side. Both of Aland's hands were pressing against his skull, and Sweden assumed that he was trying to apply pressure.

Aland's features looked wildly different than they did the night before. Now his face was scrunched up and he looked anything but relaxed. Sweden gently ran his fingers through Aland's hair, hoping that he was helping.

"My head, it's killing me," Aland choked out, between labored breaths.

"I'd imagine," Sweden said.

Aland stayed pressed against Sweden until he fell asleep. Sweden took a cool washcloth and wiped the sweat off of Aland's head. He then held the cold towel against the bullet wound, hoping that would ease the pain. Now that he was alive again, his face was contorted in obvious pain. When he moved the washcloth away, Sweden noticed that the bullet wound was slowly starting to heal. Sweden picked Aland's wrist up and felt his pulse for an immeasurable amount of time.

Hours later, when Aland woke up again, he seemed more lucid.

"I can't lift my head, it hurts too bad," Aland said.

"You just have to wait for it to get better," Sweden said, and he carefully brushed Aland's hair away from the hole in his head.

"Thank you." Aland said, "You didn't have to fight for me like that, you know."

"Yeah, I did," Sweden shot back. "I wasn't going to just leave you with Russia."

"He has Finland, why not me too?" Aland asked.

"Finland is with my sister, as far as I know, he's safe," Sweden said.

Sweden brought the towel back to Aland's face, and Aland hummed in approval.

"I love you," Aland said.

"What?" Sweden asked, considering the possibility that he was delirious.

"I do, I have for a while now. I just thought you should know," Aland said and fell silent.

Sweden's breath caught in his throat. He had never considered that possibility. But he had always been closer to Aland than anyone else. He had told Aland things that he would never tell his sister and he would never trust Finland as much as he trusted Aland. He always looked forward to the early mornings that he knew he would get to spend with Aland, and he always had inside jokes with him. He knew he should have responded seconds, or possibly minutes, ago. Sweden opened his mouth, but he still wasn't sure what he was going to say.

"I love you, too." The words were barely more than a whisper, but they rooted Sweden to the moment. Aland had stopped breathing and Sweden carefully avoided looking at him.

"For how long?"

"I don't know."

A/N: I haven't seen any headcanons, or read any canon comics, that deal with the death (or in this case "death") of a nation for SatW. Mine is that they can't be killed until after their land is completely destroyed, or, more likely, all of their previous citizens become citizens of (an)other nation(s). Despite everything that Sweden and his sister did to protect Finland and Aland, Russia still does recover from "death" and take them. After the Great Northern War, Finland starts to dislike and act aggressive towards Sweden in the canon comics, so this marks the end of their camaraderie. Also, Sweden, ever the dumbass, had honestly fallen in love and not even noticed.


	5. The Aftermath

Winter 1723

Sweden and Aland had decided that The Great Wrath was over and Aland went back to living like they were before it happened. Aland divided his time between his house and Sweden's. Finland had remained close with Sweden's sister during the entire event. Sweden didn't even know if he had decided to go home or if he just permanently resided with his sister.

Like always, Aland spent the mornings with Sweden. It was tradition for them to drink coffee and cuddle on the couch. Sweden leaned his head on Aland's shoulder. He carefully sipped the bitter drink, trying to avoid spilling on Aland. There was something about winter mornings that Sweden enjoyed. He loved the heat from the coffee and the warmth from Aland.

"Are we ever going to tell anyone about us?" Aland ran his free hand along Sweden's shoulders.

"I'm not, well, I don't want anyone to think that I'm, you know," Sweden said. He could feel his cheeks heating up. This was not the first time him and Aland had that conversation, and it never seemed to go well for him.

"We're in a committed relationship, and you're trying to tell me that you're not gay?"

"No, that wasn't what I meant, it's just that," Sweden had no idea where that sentence was going, and he wasn't sure that he would figure it out by talking.

"I get it, you aren't ready to tell anyone yet, it's fine," Aland said. Sweden felt like Aland didn't think it was fine.

"I love you," Sweden sat up and took his head off Aland's shoulder to look him in the eye. He wanted him to know that he meant it.

It worked, Aland smiled. He looked up and said it back, smiling and showing his teeth and making his eyes crinkle. Sweden loved that expression.

Determined to keep Aland happy, Sweden looked at his coffee and said, "You want some coffee in your creamer?"

Sweden acted as though he was going to pour some of his coffee into Aland's. Aland flinched away.

"Don't you dare, that's disgusting. I'm not going to drink something that tastes like pain." Aland placed his hand over his mug. Sweden laughed so hard that he was worried he might spill his coffee.

"No, coffee is supposed to taste bitter." Sweden said, and, to emphasize his point, he took a big sip. He typically drank it black, because he thought it kept him more awake.

"Bitter drinks make for a bitter personality," Aland said.

Sweden pretended to be insulted. He dramatically clutched his chest, gasped, and looked away. He took a long sip of his coffee and burned his tongue. He tried to cover it up, but Aland starting laughing, so Sweden knew he didn't hide it well enough.

"Listen, one thing. Will you eventually tell everyone? Like just your sister, Finland, Denmark, and Norway? It doesn't have to be today or tomorrow, you can take your time, just will you be ready at some point?" Aland asked. He had turned to face Sweden and held his hands.

"Yes, I just don't know when yet," Sweden said. They had never gotten this far into the argument. One of them had always found a distraction to avoid the truth. Aland seemed to let out a breath that he must have been holding for a while. His face lost some tension, and his eyes lit up.

"That means a lot to me," Aland said, and he lightly kissed Sweden. His lips tasted sweet.

"Are you busy today?" Sweden asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to help my citizens move back to my land."

"They're welcome to stay as long as they like," Sweden said. He looked over to Aland, hoping he caught the invitation.

"I know and thank you for all of your help," Aland said.

They quietly finished their coffee, pressed against each other, legs tangled.

The Great Wrath had taken its toll on Aland. As a result he was thinner and little injuries would occasionally decorate his skin. A few weeks ago, Aland had cried out in the middle of the night, and Sweden had woken up to Aland with a split lip. That wasn't an isolated incident, either. Currently, Aland was healing from a nasty bruise that had formed over his left collar bone. Aland said he acquired his wounds from damages to his land and people. Sweden knew the feeling, so he didn't bother asking questions when Aland randomly collapsed or started crying. The emotional pain from losing citizens was worse than any physical pain. The only thing Sweden could do was offer support.

"Does it still hurt?" Sweden asked, gently tracing his finger around Aland's bruise.

"No, not really. Her name was Adaliza." Aland's voice got quiet as he subtly leaned away from Sweden. He picked up the nearest pillow and pulled at a loose thread. Sweden made no move to stop him.

Sensing his discomfort, Sweden backed off. He dropped his hand off of Aland's wound.

"Has Finland spoken to you?" Sweden switched the subject.

"Yeah, he's not a fan of you right now," Aland said.

"I don't get it, I treated him much better than Russia ever did," Sweden complained. It sucked that Russia took his colonies and turned one against him.

Though through most of the Great Wrath, Aland had taken refuge with Sweden and Finland stayed with Sweden's sister, Russia had taken them both for a little more than half a year. The time away changed them. It made Aland quieter and made Finland hate Sweden. They both escaped at the same time, but Finland never returned to Sweden. He was so unpleasant that Sweden didn't mind him staying with his sister.

"It doesn't matter, he's not going to listen anyway," Aland said, looking into Sweden's eyes. This was another conversation they had had more than once.

"I know, it's just…" Again, Sweden didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"You miss him." There was no question in Aland's voice, it was purely a statement.

"I missed you more," Sweden said, rather than denying it.

"So you admit that you miss him?" Aland's asked, sounding both amused and triumphant.

"Yes."


	6. Monday Mornings and Thursday Afternoons

Summer 1922

"He visits a lot, but he's mostly moved out." Sweden's sister said as she moved the ace of spades to the top.

"Did he say why he took Aland?" Sweden asked, moving the four of hearts under the five of clubs.

"No, but I'm sure that it's not to spite you," She said, arching an eyebrow. Sweden was sure that she somehow knew what he was thinking.

"You're out of moves." He said. She had only just started the game.

"Not if I do this." She switched a card facing up with one hidden underneath it. The new card was a six of diamonds, allowing her to move the five and four and flip what was underneath them. She smiled at him and continued playing.

"That's cheating," Sweden said.

"So? Sometimes you have to cheat or you'll never get what you want." She didn't even look up as she spoke. She moved a two of spades on top of her ace and flipped another card.

"But it doesn't really count as a victory then," Sweden argued.

"How often will things ever line up perfectly? How many times will you get what you want in life by following somebody else's rules?"

Sweden walked over to the window to people watch. She lived in a busy neighborhood, so there was always something happening outside. It was a late Thursday morning, though, so there was only an elderly couple taking a walk and a babysitter watching young kids. He focused on the older couple, watching as they laughed and swung their connected hands between each other.

"Do you miss him?" Sweden asked.

"Of course, it was nice living together. But he comes by to visit often, and I'm busy Saturday through Wednesday, so I don't have much time to get bored." Sweden heard her shuffle the cards, and he knew she had won without having to ask her.

"Why don't you take off on the weekends?" Sweden asked, wondering why their boss had given her such odd hours.

"Because Finland has to deliver my mail on Thursday and Friday afternoons. Sometimes it takes us hours reviewing important documents and paperwork," She smiled, and met Sweden's unimpressed gaze head on. Sweden snorted and rolled his eyes.

"So then he's off on Saturdays and Sundays?"

"Yeah, and I'm supposed to contact Russia, or someone associated with Russia, every Saturday and Sunday. Finland and I always have long diplomatic conversations." Sweden's sister had already set up for the next game, and was playing again, judging by the sounds of cards being flipped.

"That's really clever how you two arranged your schedules," Sweden said.

"I hope you don't think that we meet up to do work," She replied.

"No, I get it," Sweden said. They were twins, but she always made him feel as though he was years younger.

"Finland is always out all day Mondays, and Thursday and Friday afternoons. That almost never changes." She gave him a pointed look. So that would explain why Aland only snuck over on Mondays.

"So you're saying that if in a couple hours I left here and went to Finland's house, he wouldn't be there?" Sweden asked, just to be sure they were on the same page.

She let out a little sigh that made Sweden feel stupid. "Yes, that is what I'm saying."

He walked away and hugged her for longer than necessary. He only saw Aland once a week, Denmark and Norway had been busy lately, and Finland had become a dick, so Sweden was severely lacking human contact.

"Thank you," He said.

"No problem, anything for you and Aland. You two are so happy together." She said, "I'll even talk to Finland about loosening up, but I don't know if it'll help."

She was the first person that Sweden came out to, and the first to know about his and Aland's relationship. She found out both things on the same day. She took it well, just as he knew she would.

"He hates me too much, I doubt it'll work. But thanks again," Sweden said.

"I won." She shuffled the deck a couple of times and passed it over to Sweden. "You can play if you want."

She got up and went down the hallway. Sweden started to follow her, but changed his mind. He set up solitaire, and began to play while he waited for her. He had just moved the king of hearts into the empty space when she came out.

"Catch." She threw something small and shiny at him. The object hit him on his chest, and he grabbed it before it could fall to the floor. It was a key.

"What-"

She cut him off, "Finland and I exchanged keys a while back. I just so happened to make a copy of his key after he forced Aland to be his colony."

"You're the best," He said, and then he laughed a little. His sister helped him out so much; he owed her so much.

"I know," She grinned, "now go before Finland gets here."

"Bye, coffee next week?" Sweden asked.

"Sounds good," She said, and waved as Sweden left.

Once Sweden got back to his house, he paced two consecutive hours. He had only been seeing Aland on Monday mornings, and it was a nasty change from living together. He missed Aland, but worried that Aland didn't want to see him. Also, he didn't want to run into Finland. Their relationship had never been great, but he used to consider him as a friend. If Finland caught Sweden breaking and entering his house to meet up with Aland, Sweden was certain that he would be murdered.

He left his house with nothing but the copy of Finland's key and an envelope stuffed with a blank piece of paper and a random address. If he did get caught, at least he had an excuse. By the time he had gotten to his boat, Sweden thought he was panicking. The waves against the boat calmed him down. He didn't want to freak Aland out, so he took steadying breaths.

Sweden couldn't help but to look around nervously as he approached Finland's door. For the last two centuries, Sweden was not welcome at Finland's house. He jiggled the key in the lock and let himself in. His house was warm and cozy; the furniture Sweden remembered had all been replaced and the walls had been repainted. Sweden could smell fish cooking, probably salmon, and he wandered through the living room to the kitchen.

Aland stood in front of the sink, preparing potatoes. The water was running, so he hadn't heard Sweden's entrance.

"Hey," Sweden said.

Aland jumped. He turned around blinked when he saw him. Sweden watched as his eyes lit up and he grinned. Aland dropped the potato he was holding into the sink. He ran over and pulled Sweden into a hug.

"I've missed you," Aland said, running his fingers through Sweden's hair.

"Me too." Sweden closed his eyes and rested his head against Aland's.

"How did you get in?"

Sweden held up his key, "My sister gave me this."

"Ok, but how did you know he wouldn't be here?" Aland asked.

"She told me his schedule."

"You're incredible," Aland laughed.

Sweden knew he didn't deserve any of the credit, but he still took it anyway. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"Shut up," Aland said, hugging him tighter.

"If you know he's gone on Thursday and Friday afternoons, why didn't you come to see me?"

"I have to cook dinner, so I don't have time to stop by," Aland said.

"I don't get it, why doesn't he let us live together? Is he really that much of an asshole?" Sweden complained, not expecting an answer.

"Yeah, he is. But I think he just wants me nearby because we went through the same shit with Russia. We understand each other. Sort of." Aland attempted to explain. He opened his mouth as though he was going to continue, but changed his mind and shook his head.

"It just sucks, we barely get to see each other anymore."

"This won't last forever," Aland assured Sweden. He pressed his forehead against Sweden's and gave him a reassuring smile.

"You're right," Sweden said.

"We will make this work," Aland promised.


End file.
